Mahagathbandhan to milk Nitish’s iconic city projects

Patna: Mahagathbandhan is likely to showcase some of the city’s new iconic structures built by the Nitish Kumar government, including the Rs 500 crore Bihar Museum, during electioneering.
On July 20 this year, CM Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the state's longest flyover on Bailey Road here. The 2.9-km flyover from Jagdeo Path Mor to Sheikhpura Mor has been constructed at a cost of Rs 300 crore.The flyover has given instant respite to a population of over six lakh, especially those living in western Patna, from frequent jams. “Everyone, from common people to VIPs, used to be stuck in the traffic jam on this stretch. There were occasions when it took two hours to cover 5km due to heavy traffic on the road,” said Ajay Kumar, who works in a private cement company.
The construction and expansion of flyovers, including the ones in Mithapur and Exhibition Road, has given much relief to Patnaites in terms of hassle-free travel. Even Nitish’s bitter critics have been praising him for such commendable work, but remain non-committal on voting for Mahagathbandhan.
The Rs 500 crore Bihar Museum, inaugurated by the CM last month, is emerging as a major attraction for people visiting Patna. On an average, 500 people visit Bihar Museum daily though it has only two galleries so far.
However, a large number of intellectuals and art lovers have questioned the utility of the museum. “At a time when the people of Patna are suffering from poor sanitation and lack of civic amenities, the state government chose to build another museum in the city,” said Raghu Nandan Sharma, a Patna University teacher.
“Perennial civic problems like piling of garbage, waterlogging, encroachment and traffic jams have remained unaddressed in the city. The government hardly does anything to address these issues,” said Ashok Kumar, a resident of Rajendra Nagar.
However, A N Sinha, a retired government officer, is all praise for CM Nitish Kumar for his “good works”. “Patnaites should give all credits to the CM for his effort to change the landscape of the city. The new police headquarters building and redevelopment of old colonies are all brainchild of Nitish Kumar. His government also gave a facelift to the legislature complex,” Sinha said.
Last month, the CM had also inaugurated another signature building — Niyojan Bhawan — near I-T roundabout besides four other projects worth over Rs 20 crore.